These commuters make the Metro a rough ride

So, Phase I of the Bangalore Metro is finally complete and commuters are thrilled. Still, some passengers take the fun out of the trip. Meet them here:

The seat grabber: Never mind if there are senior citizens or pregnant women waiting to board, this dude jumps in and rushes to take his seat. And then proceeds to look through anyone who might need the seat more than him.

The door hogger: This commuter cannot be lured away from the entrance to the Metro coaches. Others boarding or alighting have to make their way around him.

The laptop lugger: This has been a cause for much friction on the Delhi Metro and is catching on in Bangalore, too. Laptop-carrying commuters refuse to put their bags the floor, occupying space, hitting fellow commuters every time they move and causing tempers to flare.

The loud talker: You feel like telling them… ‘Sshh…keep it down, please.’ They speak so loud on their mobiles, you can follow the entire conversation and learn the intimate details of their problems with the boss, their dinner plans and their opinions about the Indo-Pakistan cricket match.

The tourist: They’ve come from out of town and the Metro is a novelty. The problem arises when they want to be photographed hanging from the straps, or posing next to the door in a fully-packed compartment. Metro coaches when they are full are not a good setting for selfies either.